374 1HF- OPEN COURT.

laws, the descent of man, etc. He thus succeeds in covering up the important re-

ligious truth of the Golden Rule. For the sake of increasing the toil of man, ma-

chinery was introduced. The devil of the labor question says: " I persuade men

that as articles can be produced better by machines than by men, it is therefore necessary to turn men into machines, and they do this, and the men turned into machines hate those who have done so unto them." " Tolstoy winds up his statements as follows : The devils encircled Beelzebub. devil in At one end was the the cape, — the inventor of the Church ; at the other end the devil in the mantle, — the inventor of Science. These devils clasped each other's paws, and the ring was complete. All the devils chuckling, yelping, whistling, cracking their heels and twisting their tails, spun and danced around Beelzebub. Beelzebub, himself flapping his unfolded wings, danced in the middle, kicking up high his legs. "Above were heard cries, weeping, groans, and the gnashing of teeth."

THE GATHAS OF ZARATHUSHTRA. 1

Among the sacred books of Mazdaism the GSthas are probably the most im-

portant. , or as he is called in the original , Zarathushtra, is repre- sented in the and in the as a demigod, a prophet full of the spirit

is, of , that the Lord ; and his miraculous powers are never doubted. The G&thas, or hymns, unquestionably constitute the oldest documents of Zoroaster's

religion. Here the prophet of dualism, far from being a demi-god, is a struggling man confronted with dangers, passing through tribulations, full of hope and fear, cursing his enemies, and promising the peace of God to his friends and supporters. They afford the strongest proof that Zoroaster was really a concrete living person- ality, that his work was historical, and that the later myths that surround his name as a halo are mere accretions which naturally grow around the memory of a great man.

Zoroaster was born in , probably in the northwestern part, in Adarbaijan,

near the Caspian Sea He impresses his countrymen with the truth that there is but one God, and that the evil principle which contends with God the Lord omni- scient () for the government of the world is the source of all evil. We, all living creatures, are confronted with the great question whether we will serve God or the Evil One, the latter being represented by the Da?vas, presumably the degraded old deities of the Iranian tribes.

Professor Mills has translated the GSthas first into Latin and then translit- erated them into the Sacred Books the East, Vol. i of XXX., pp. 393 ; but his aspiration to present them to the public in a readable form suggested to him the idea of publishing a new English metrical version, in which he endeavors to intro- duce the English public into the spirit of the Zarathushtrian Gathas. The book was first published by Henry Frowde, but The Open Court Publishing Company has now acquired the ownership, and we take pleasure in offering the second edi- tion to the American and English public. Even in the metrical form the Gathas are by no means easy reading We have to bear in mind a number of terms which frequently occur, and it is difficult to translate them into English Although Ahura Mazda, the Lord omniscient, is

I The G&that of Zarathushtra {Zoroaster) in metre and rhythm, being a second edition of the metrical versions in the author's edition of 1802-1N94. By Lawrence H. Mills, D. D., Hon. M. A., Professor of Philology in the Zend University of Oxford. ChicaRO : The Open Court Pub. Co. Pages, xix, 240 Price, S2.00. MISlF.l I ANFOUS. 375

vie r.od. . or \hnnianu is an independent bring Interior to him. yet

jinlr distinct ind separate A .: It it ti.mil. in which tba Iranians, ad-

Zoroaster ' dressed by Zoroaster, are called upon to choose which side to take. Further, we

1 Copied from a bas-relief at Persepolis. Examples of Persian iconoeraphy in Fairly Sat- mtmimm hutrifUtms, by Edw. Thomas. F. R. S. Reproduced from Tki Hundr,d Gnat,, I Htm, by permission of Sampson. Low. Marston A Co. 376 THE OPEN COURT. have to mention that Zarathushtra makes use of a number of expressions which in the later development of his religion develop into a theological mythology, or, to say the least, angelology. The Amshaspand, or archangels, are personified powers of God, among whom (Good Thought), (the Moral World Order, or Righteousness), Khshathra Vairya (the Kingdom of Perfection), are the most im- portant ones. They correspond to the archangels of Christianity. In the book before us, Professor Mills took the most important hymns and

grouped them in such a way as to indicate the historical order ; the introduction being xliii., a greeting to an expected champion of his religion. We have good reason to assume that it is addressed to , the Zoroastrian Constan- tine, the principal hero of orthodox Mazdaism. In Yasna xxix., the second hymn in Professor Mills's collection, we hear the

adherents of the prophet cry for assistance from God ; they are represented as the soul of the herd clamoring for a leader, as which Zoroaster presents himself. Ahura Mazda, the Lord omniscient, calls him, and entrusts him with the great

mission of extending help to the herd. It concludes with the prayer of Zoroaster :

"Grant gladness, O Ahura and the Right, unto these a Kingdom, A Realm with the Good Mind ordered, which and amenity giveth joy ; Of these, O Mazda, ever

the possessor first I thought Thee."

Zoroaster now enters upon his office (Yasna xxviii.). He prays for assistance from Mazda, to be supported by " His bounteous spirit and the Good Mind's un-

derstanding, thus the Herd's soul to appease." He utters the following invocation :

' ' O Righteousness and thou Good Mind,

with surpassing chants I'll praise you, And Mazda, for whom our Piety aids the everlasting Kingdom ;

Aye, together I adore you ;

then, for grace while I call, draw near.

"O Holiness, when shall I see Thee,

and thou Good Mind, as I discover Obedience, the path to the Lord,

to Mazda, the most beneficent ? With that Manthra will we teach foul heretics faith on our God."

Zoroaster feels compelled to explain the constitution of the world to his fol-

lowers, and he speaks with authority ; he claims to have had a revelation from

Ahura Mazda himself. He addresses God in the following stanza :

" I who the Right to shelter and the Good Mind, am set for ever, Teach Thou me forth from Thyself to proclaim, from Thy mouth of spirit

The laws by which at the first, "

this world into being entered ! MISCELLANEOUS. 377

I is . wlirre he jinwrr to tbil I inspiration gum in V.i n.i \\\ the

vxallrd ilu.ili-.rn is proil.iimr.1. Thr prophet calls upon Ins people to decide, and nrges nrn single man to choose for himself

tins the cars Bw ft with ;

behold ir thr M.imrs with the Boil Mind .

Faith s choioet must ye now fig, for yourselves, man and man deciding;

The great concern is at hand, " to this our teaching awake ye I

The substance of his faith is expressed in the belief in two primeval spirits, one good and one evil, between whom we must choose.

" Thus are the spirits primeval who. as Twain, by their deeds are famed In thought, in word, and in deed,

a better they two, and an evil ; Of these, let the wise choose aright, " and not as the evil-minded !

He explains how the two spirits work, the good one for life, the bad one for

death ; how the good one rewards with a Millennium (probably the prototype of the Christian Millennium!, and the bad one leads to the pit. The I>a vas were de- ceived by the Evil One, and thus they fell But we have a chance to choose the right. The Amshaspand, or archangels, are assisting us. and among the powers

for good there is Armaiti. the personification of a holy zeal for the good cause, de- votion or endeavor. Zoroaster says:

"To us came then the helper

with the Kingdom, Right, and the Good Mind : And a body gave Armaiti,

the eternal and never-bending . With these who are Thine may she be,

as Thou earnest first in creations."

The evil ones are doomed :

" Then on the host of the Lie

the blow of destruction descendeth ; But swiftest in the abode of the Good Mind gather the righteous. With Mazda and Asha they dwell advancing in holier fame."

But the course of the prophet is not so smooth. The Kingdom of God (Khsha- thra Vairya) is not so soon released. The powerful rival, a heretical teacher, an idolatrous leader, has risen, and the next Gatha sounds the slogan of war against this dangerous enemy In Yasna xliv Zoroaster preaches the true religion, and sets forth the bless-

ings of obedience ; but he seems to have met with disaster, for in Yasna xlvi. we : : ;

378 THE OPEN COURT.

possess a cry deprofundis ; the prophet seems exiled, and from the depths of his

confusion he asks the Lord :

" To what land shall I turn ?, where with my ritual go ? Of kinsmen, allies, or the mass None to content their service offer me.

" This know I, Mazda, wherefore foiled I wander My flocks so small, and following so feeble ;

To Thee in grief I cry, behold it. Master, Thy grace vouchsafing me, as friend bestows on friend, Showing with pureness Thy Good Mind's riches best."

In his anxiety, Zoroaster threatens a powerful supporter who seems to shrink from giving him his due assistance, with the same curse as the enemies of faith the ; he says

' ' ' Who having power doth not thus approach him To the Lie-demon's home in chains will go ;

The wicked's friend is he and likewise wicked, But righteous he who loves the righteous, Since the primeval laws Thou gavest, Lord."

Finally, the prophet sees his cause advanced, and he sees himself at the head of an army. He promises victory to those who would side with Asha, the world order, and conquer Lie-Druj, the demon of wickedness. He promises deathless life

for the saints, a cursed life for the infidels. He says :

" If he with Asha's deeds shall slay the Lie-Druj, | When that once called deceit our lot really | shall be, In deathless life for saints, cursed for faithless; With blessings this shall swell, praise. Lord, to Thee."

Nevertheless, the victory is not easily gained ; his enemy, Befidva, the cruel chieftain, gains a decisive victory, and his people are despondent The disaster is mentioned in Yasna xliv.

" Befidva hath gained . . !

he ever the . . yet strongest . | The ruthless 2 now

with rites to I call peace ; | Come, Lord, with gift of good to heal sorrow my ;

1 Viz., the prophel with help in his troubles.

2 The meaning seems to be. that the Prophet must appease his followers who are dissatisfied on account of the defeat. ;

Mlsi ILLAMEOl 379

With K'xxl nirn k-h" (or mr

ill. il Hriiilv.il (.ill '

Ihr enemies "ho 'with m.nlnr".s urge on Raid and Wasting . . . . who pray

with danrD'l rites, with Asha s never.'' they arc helped by the fiends ; but. adds the prophet

" Mut He is blessing. Lord, and he our riches. Who guards our holy Faith wiih good men s hand | Each willing saint hath thus Asha enfranchised

With all who in Thy " Realm loyal shall stand

Without further entering into the details of the progress and the several re- verses of Zoroaster's cause, he invokes the Lord and the archangels in the follow- ing stanza

' ' Ye. the most bounteous Mazda Ahura. and Zealous-Devotion And Asha, the settlements furth'ring, thou Good Mind and Kingly Power, Hear ye me all. and cleanse me " for all deeds which I do whatsoe'er !

He instituted the rite of the holy fire :

" Yes. we beseech for Thy Fire

through its holiness 1 strong. O Ahura,

Most swift it is, and most mighty

to the believer shining for succour ; But for the hater, O Mazda, " it showeth with javelins- vengeance!

And he gains a powerful supporter in King Vishtaspa, who is praised for his wis-

dom and receives the promise of Shura's blessings :

" Holy VisbtSspa

in the great Realm hath reached ;

Hymns of good men revealed it ;

Through this Law Mazda taught it He the bounteous Ahura, " so to teach us in grace

The prophet enters into a close alliance with his royal disciple, and bis daugh- ter is married to the king The last Yasna in Professor Mills's collection. No liii,

is the marriage song, which concludes with the following doxology :

"With unbelievers the foe Thine upholders would banish

lAsha. 2,Pre«umably the lightning —

380 THE OPEN COURT.

Through the truth-slaying prayer of the body estranged. Where's then the Lord righteous

smiting these out of life,

And from license would hurl them ? Mazda, Thine is that Kingdom where to poor and right-living Thou dost give, Lord, the best ?"

OBITUARY. PIERRE LAFF1TTE.

French newspapers announce the death of the official head of the Positivist religion, M. Pierre Laffitte, a venerable octogenarian. He was installed in his office by the will of Auguste Comte who died in 1857. Since then the Positivist school was split into two parties, one which accepted the religions institutions of their master, the other which repudiated the idea of a positivist religion. The lat- ter saw in Comte's last period of life a mere aberration and recognised only his scientific achievements. They represent the large body of scientists and freethink- ers and follow the lead of fimile Littre. The former constitute the Comtists proper, a small sect of worshippers of humanity with peculiar rituals, prayers, and festi- vals. They hold their meetings in the Rue Monsieur-le-Prince, where their leader gave instructions in philosophy, theoretical and applied ethics, sociology and the history of religion, explaining the doctrines of Moses, Buddha, Confucius, St. Paul, and Mahomet.

M. Laffitte held the chair of a general survey of the sciences at the Sorbonne and leaves behind the following works: Dictionnaire d'ouverttire. —Des lessons sur Vhistoire generate de I'humaniti. —Des considerations gi'ne'ralcs sur Ven- semble de la civilisation chinoise. —Les grands types de I'humaniti, and Cours de philosophic premiere.

M. Laffitte still enjoyed the satisfaction that in May, 1902, a bust of his master Auguste Comte, was erected on the Place de la Sorbonne which was solemnly un- veiled under the auspices of General Andre.

JULIUS VICTOR CARUS.

Dr. Julius Victor Carus, Professor in the University of Leipsic, a distant rela- tive of the editor of The Open Court, died peacefully at an advanced age, on March 10th last. If he had lived a fortnight and a day longer he would have cele- brated on March 25th the 80th aniversary of his birth. He was the editor of the Bibliotheca Zoologica and the author of many books, perhaps the most signifi- cant among them being his Geschichte dcr Zoologic published in 1S72, in which he gives a synopsis of zoological development from the standpoint of evolution, an undertaking which, in spite of the great progress which has been made in this branch of science, still remains unique. Julius Victor Carus was the son of Ernst August Carus, Professor of Medicine at the University of Leipsic. He was born August 25, 1823, attended the Nicolai School till 1841, then the Universities of Leipsic (184 1-1844) arj d of Dorpat (1844), where his father had been appointed professor of surgery. In 1846 he became the resident physician of the St. George Hospital and in 1849 took his doctor's degree at Leipsic. He filled successive positions at Wiirzburg, Freiburg-Baden, and Ox-